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Woman Sentenced For Bringing Drugs into Correctional Facility

Express Staff WriterNEWPORT CITY – In Orleans District Court Judge Robert Bent sentenced a Winooski woman to three to six months, all suspended, plus probation and conditions for felony and misdemeanor charges relating to drug possession. On Tuesday, Rise Berard, 62, entered a plea of guilty to both a felony and a misdemeanor charge of possession of a depressant/stimulant/narcotic. On March 19, 2011, Cpl. Paul Mosher of the Vermont State Police responded to the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport where he met with Correctional Officers Robert Arkley and Steven Stanley. The correctional officers reported that Berard went to the correctional facility to visit an inmate (the affidavit does not identify the inmate). According to the affidavit, Stanley told Mosher that Berard had placed a latex glove containing an assortment of loose pills in a visitor's locker. Arkley, who is a supervisor at the facility, took the pills out of the glove.According to the affidavit, the glove contained 27 pills.When Mosher arrived at the correctional facility, Berard was laying on the floor in the lobby. She appeared disoriented and her speech was slurred. According to the affidavit Berard declined medical attention and Mosher said he didn’t detect the smell of alcohol.Berard authorized Mosher to search her jacket. She also said there were some needles in the pocket. Mosher found an unused syringe. Berard told Mosher that she “shoots oxy.”